Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network – New Books in Music

Episode: Cary Baker, "Down On The Corner: Adventures in Busking & Street Music" (Jawbone Press, 2025)
Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Bradley Morgan
Guest: Cary Baker

Overview

This episode features music industry veteran and author Cary Baker, discussing his new book Down On The Corner: Adventures in Busking & Street Music. The conversation explores the rich history, social impact, and enduring traditions of busking—street performance—in the U.S. and Europe, blending anecdote, historical research, and stories of both legendary and contemporary street musicians. Baker and Morgan delve into how busking shapes urban culture, blends genres, and remains a vital form of grassroots music-making and social connection.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to the Book and Busking

• Baker describes his lifelong passion for street music, rooted in his Chicago upbringing and experiences at the famed Maxwell Street market.

  “I’m a fan of busking and I’m a fan of street music… I was just old enough to catch the last vestige of busking on Maxwell street and other parts of town.” —Cary Baker (02:05)

2. Historical Context of Busking

• Explores the ancient origins of busking, its role in disseminating news before the printing press, and the impact of major social changes, including immigration and the industrial revolution.
• The Great Depression saw an uptick in street performing, but also led to legal crackdowns, such as New York’s 1935 ban on busking (not lifted until 1970).

3. Maxwell Street & Chicago Busking Legacies

• Baker’s first forays into music journalism happened after hearing Blind Arvella Gray play on Maxwell Street at age 16, leading to an influential article in the Chicago Reader and producing Gray’s lone album.

  “I considered that if I don’t do anything else on this planet, I have documented the street singer for the world to hear.” —Cary Baker (13:22)

• Maxwell Street as a pivotal space for blues musicians like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Robert Nighthawk; it was a multicultural hub central to the transmission of both Black and immigrant musical traditions.

4. Personal Impact of Busking Encounters

• Baker’s early encounters on Maxwell Street shaped his music career, from underground journalism to the eventual executive production of Arvella Gray’s album, and led to lifelong documentation and advocacy of street musicians.

5. Shifts in Urban Culture

• Even as Maxwell Street was physically erased by redevelopment, its legacy persists elsewhere in Chicago, though the musical makeup has changed to reflect the city’s contemporary diversity.

6. Busking in New York & The 1961 Beatnik Riot

• The host and guest examine how legal restrictions led to resistance, culminating in the beatnik riot at Washington Square Park—an event that cemented the right to perform publicly and helped seed the Greenwich Village folk scene.

  “The end result though is that this became an issue that Mayor John Lindsay at the time was… It was during his term in office as mayor that busking became legal, at least in Washington Square…” —Cary Baker (16:40)

7. Moondog and Iconic New York Buskers

• Moondog, famed for performing in Viking garb and championed by composer Philip Glass, typifies the outsider-turned-icon. Baker reflects on Moondog’s resilience, his self-released street recordings, and his eventual triumph at Carnegie Hall.

  “It’s the ultimate American success story.” —Cary Baker (28:22)

8. Violent Femmes and Contemporary Busking Successes

• The Milwaukee-based Violent Femmes’ busking roots helped develop their unique folk-punk sound and directly led to their big break—being noticed by the Pretenders and Slash Records.

  “We just had a busking show… Kind of nostalgic for a band that was now on the road playing inside venues, but they always busked.” —Cary Baker (32:28)

9. European Busking Traditions

• Discussion of British legends like Billy Bragg, who began as a tube busker. Bragg’s direct, protest-focused style and preference for spontaneous performance remain tied to his roots.

  “Billy Bragg is, you know, was kind of a protest singer and an activist all through his career and street singing was a way that he connected.” —Cary Baker (35:26)

• Observes that European busking, especially in the London Underground and Parisian streets, is often more culturally accepted and even venerated.

10. Modern Advocacy & Technology in Busking

• Organizations like Playing for Change use modern technology to unite buskers globally, raise funds, and advocate for artists. New tools such as social media, QR codes, and online payment have changed how buskers garner support and revenue.

  “It’s become a real industry… Merchandise is sold. It’s become a very organized, very social media driven career.” —Cary Baker (43:05, 44:12)

• Examples of contemporary buskers benefiting from new technologies and venues, such as Harry Perry on Venice Boardwalk and Alana Katz Katz in Boston.

11. Current Legal and Social Challenges

• Buskers today face a patchwork of local ordinances, weather, and challenges with noise and space, but overall many U.S. cities now embrace and encourage street performance as a marker of vibrant urban life.

12. How to Support Buskers and the Value of Dignity

• Beyond tips or buying music, treating buskers with respect, dignity, and attention can be transformational.

  “Give them some respect… Maybe give a five dollar bill or ten or a twenty… really what they ask is dignity.” —Cary Baker (52:45)

13. Notable Busking “Success Stories”

• Moondog, Ted Hawkins, Fantastic Negrito, Lucinda Williams, Elvis Costello, Madeline Peyroux, and others are highlighted as artists who leveraged street performance into lasting careers.

14. Recommendations for Discovering Busking History

• For newcomers, Baker suggests starting with foundational artists:
  • Reverend Gary Davis
  • Blind Lemon Jefferson
  • Blind Arvella Gray (if available)
  • Bongo Joe (San Antonio)
  • Cortelia Clark (Nashville—album recorded in the street, won a Grammy in 1967)

  “To me, Cortelia Clark, that record is, you know, the pure busking experience. If you can find it… by all means, listen to it.” —Cary Baker (59:37)

Memorable Quotes

• “It was just seeing them amidst the honking of horns and the city street and people walking by and conversing. I, for some reason, found that very compelling and spontaneous and real.” —Kary Baker on the appeal of outdoor street music (10:54)

• “He wasn’t this R&B singer on Interscope Records. He was a new artist, folk blues and he gave himself a new name, Fantastic Negrito.” —Cary Baker (54:06)

• “Busking has become very high tech now… You can sell CDs, posters, memorabilia, they sell T-shirts, and there are QR codes, there are Venmo and PayPal codes.” —Cary Baker (50:18)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:05 | What the book is about and Baker’s personal connection | | 05:16 | Maxwell Street’s history and early blues performers | | 07:49 | Baker’s first Maxwell Street experience and its personal impact | | 12:00 | Producing and documenting Blind Arvella Gray | | 16:40 | The Beatnik Riot and changing laws in New York | | 24:53 | Moondog’s legacy and avant-garde busking | | 29:22 | Violent Femmes’ beginnings as street musicians | | 34:48 | Billy Bragg and the London tube/European busking traditions | | 41:13 | Advocacy organizations—Playing for Change | | 42:57 | Changing laws, technology, and the modern state of busking | | 47:43 | New generation of buskers and innovations in street performance | | 52:45 | How audiences can meaningfully support buskers | | 58:32 | Baker’s recommendations for discovering the history and essential artists |

Conclusion

Cary Baker’s conversation provides a sweeping, insightful look into the world of street music, blending historical research with hands-on stories and advocacy. Grounded in a belief in busking’s vitality, authenticity, and importance, the episode is both a tribute and a guide for those interested in the intersection of music, culture, and urban life.

Further Reading:
Find Cary Baker’s Down On The Corner: Adventures in Busking & Street Music from Jawbone Press (2025) for a comprehensive exploration of this enduring musical tradition.